Sweetie Pie Part 2
by TheClownPrincessOfCrime
Summary: After getting the boot from the Joker's gang, Harley and Sophie team up with an old friend for mischief in Gotham City and Metropolis, but they soon find out that the Supers and the BatClan aren't the only ones standing in their way. **This is the second part to my first story, Sweetie Pie.** ;)
1. The Joker and his Temper

**I don't own anything from the DCAU, unfortunately. The only things I own are the characters I created. :) Again, this is the second "part" to Sweetie Pie, so if you want, you can take a look at that story, first. :) **

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The bright neon clown face on the outside of the rundown building pathetically flickered on and off. It was in obvious need of some good old fashioned TLC. The cheery clown had a gigantic overly exaggerated grin, and the bulbs blinking every so often gave the impression the clown was missing his two front teeth.

That particular night was calm, not a sound could be heard. A tiny black stray cat meowed, wandering towards the building without a single care in the world. It calmly sat down beside the front door and began licking its paw.

Suddenly, a huge heavy brick came crashing right through backside of the clown's mouth, completely knocking out his "teeth." The cat hissed and darted away, narrowly missing getting hit by the flying object.

A second later, the peaceful night was shattered by two loud, frightened shrieks coming from inside the building, followed by the deafening sound of things breaking.

Harley and Sophie, who were both holding on to each other for dear life, screamed in unison and jumped out of the way of the flying chairs which were being thrown at them. They barely missed having the chairs slam into their terrified faces. The Joker's intense fit of rage was clearly evident, judging by the force of which he hurled dishes, books, furniture, and anything else he could get his gloved hand on at his two henchgirls.

His eyes were filled with fury as he stopped to catch his breath. "You are two of the most _worthless_ pieces of crusted brown residue on the bottom of my shoe that I've _ever_ had the misfortune of knowing!" He screamed, his eyes blazing red with anger. "Even the _hyenas_ are more useful than you two...and I'd rather clean up the crap they leave on the floor than have to deal with you anymore!"

"B-but, Puddin'," Harley stammered, reaching her hand out to try to ease the anger. "We just-"

The Joker growled and grabbed a nearby iron and lifted it over his head, ready to pitch. Sophie gasped and grabbed Harley's hand, yanking her away of the path of the deadly projectile.

Sophie's eyes were filled with fear. She and Harley had made him angry before, loads of times, in fact. But she'd never seen him angry like this before.

"P-please Mister Joker," Sophie said, gulping nervously. "W-we try our best-"

Joker glared at Sophie and balled up his fists so tightly, his knuckles throbbed. "You try your _best?"_ He snarled, grabbing Sophie roughly by her face. "_You_ should talk. The last good haul _you_ came up with was _months_ ago! But what since then, huh?"

Sophie gulped again, unable to speak a word.

"_Nothing,_ that's what!" The Joker shouted. "That was the _only_ good thing you've really ever done for this gang!"

Sophie was silent as she pondered what the Joker said. She wanted so desperately to impress him and to make him see she was a real henchgirl, not just an annoying little brat. Although by only pulling off one decent job, she felt she would never be able to.

"Aw, com on, Mister J, lighten up, will ya?" Harley said seductively, rubbing her fingers slowly down his arm. The least she could hope for was that he would ease up on his anger with a little persuading. But she wasn't that lucky, this time.

The Joker immediately let go of Sophie's face and grabbed Harley by her tassels. "And _you_?_ You're_ worse than ever. You haven't brought back _anything_ worthwhile in who knows how long! Neither one of you are pulling your weight around here! You make _me_ do all the work, you never come up with any sort of useful ideas!" He bellowed. "Why, I'm surprised you both don't float up to space because your heads are just full of air!" He let go of Harley's hat and slammed his fists on the table in fury. "I could go downtown _right_ now and pick out the next two girls I saw, throw some discounted Halloween costumes on 'em, and they'd surely be more useful than _you_ two!" He glared at Harley. "Especially, _you,_ Harley!"

That was a blow to Harley, and she gasped, clearly hurt by his harsh words. "Oh Mister J, you know that's not true! I betcha I'm the _best_ henchgirl in all of Gotham City!"

The Joker glared at her and felt the fire inside burn hotter. "If _you_ are the best there is, there's _no_ hope for the world!"

Harley's feelings really began to get hurt, then. "We _are_ the best henchgirls in Gotham, Mister J. We're the best ones for you! I'd bet my _life_ on it!"

The Joker closed his eyes and put his hand to his temple. "Can I get that in writing?"

Harley sighed heavily. "Aw, come on, Puddin'. You just need to relax, a little. Take a deep breath, calm down, and don't lose your temper over nothing."

The Joker was aghast at Harley's words, and they only infuriated him more. He angrily knocked over the table, sending it flying across the room. Then he shoved aside more chairs and stacks of papers, sending them scattering every which way. _"You're_ the reason I even _have_ a temper, you brainless, bumbling, blonde..._ bimbo!"_

Sophie had expected Harley to start crying after hearing the Jokers words, but she was pleasantly surprised that Harley had kept her cool.

"I want you two _out_ of here before I count to _three!"_ The Joker yelled, his teeth tightly clenched. "I want you out, and I _never_ want to see your pathetic faces _again!"_

Both girls gasped in pure horror. This was something neither one of them had expected to hear. Harley felt like someone had punched her in the heart. Sophie was also in shock. She never thought the Joker would actually kick them out onto the streets. She had just gained a place to call her own, a real home there, and in an instant, she was back to where she had started from.

"W-what do you mean, Puddin'? Y-you _can't_ be serious!" Harley stammered, her eyes filling with tears, finally.

Sophie didn't blame her then, as she felt her own tears begin to form.

"I _am_ serious!" The Joker screamed. "And _don't_ call me Puddin'!"

Before they knew what was happening, two of his thugs tossed the girls out onto the street like two sacks of potatoes, followed by their respective "bag of tricks." The thugs chuckled loudly and slammed the door, locking it behind them.

"But..." Sophie whimpered, taking in a huge breath. She looked from Harley to the hideout, unsure of what to do next. She took in a big gulp, her eyes still as wide as saucers. "Harley, what're we gonna do now?"

Sophie had spent a few years of her life on the streets before meeting Harley and the Joker, but she had become jaded by the fact she'd had a warm bed and a roof over her head, and the thought of reverting back to her old ways scared her to death. Although, Harley seemed unusually calm about the whole situation, and Sophie wasn't sure how to feel about that.

Harley stood up, brushing the powdery brown dirt from her costume. She reached down, giving Sophie a hand up as well. "Listen, cutie. Don't you worry one teeny weeny little _bit_ about this. Why, if I had a nickel for every time Mister J kicked me out, I'd be richer than Bruce Wayne by now! I know how he works. Sure, I guess this time we _really_ got on his last nerves, but he's gonna cool down in no time, and when he does, he's gonna take us back, no problem. I give it a few hours, tops. Just wait and see. Everything's gonna be A-OK!"

Harley and Sophie tried as best they could to entertain themselves as they waited outside the hideout for the Joker to open the door, open his arms, and welcome them back. Sophie was optimistic of this scenario, because Harley so firmly believed it. Although, as the hours dragged on and on, Sophie began to get restless. Harley kept reassuring her, telling her that they just had to wait a little longer. Although, as they heard the rumble of thunder in the distance, Sophie bit her lip, nervously. A few minutes later, when the heavens opened up and it began to downpour, they realized they had a big problem. Harley's headpiece drooped from both from sadness and from wetness. Sophie carefully held a tattered cardboard box over her head, trying to shield herself from the rain, but it was proving not so useful as the rain slammed down harder and harder. The weather seemed to fit their moods to a T.

Harley slowly walked over to the door, almost as if she was silently pleading for it to open. Suddenly, she angrily tore her headpiece off and threw it. It smacked into the middle of the door with a sloppy squelch. The rain continued to pour, drenching Harley completely. She sighed heavily and slowly sank to her knees, sadly. Sophie's big, ocean-blue eyes filled with sadness as she saw her friend's immense pain. She opened her mouth to speak, but the cardboard box she was holding broke down the middle, sending a huge stream of rain dripping down her head.

"Harley?" Sophie said timidly after a second, tossing the box away having given up on keeping herself dry, "I think...uh, I think we're gonna need a different plan."

Harley and Sophie trudged down the dark, rainy streets of Gotham, dejected. Sophie was upset about losing the only comfortable home she'd known in years, and Harley was upset about losing the Joker. They didn't speak, although Harley did give a few sniffles here and there. Harley took her soggy headpiece and wiped her eyes, smudging her make-up even further. Sophie smiled a little and slipped her hand into Harley's, hoping to give her a little comfort. Harley returned the smile and wiped the fresh tears which had formed in her eyes, once more.

"Thanks, sweetie. I was just...I was just so _sure_ Mister J would calm down and let us back in," She sighed heavily. "Now, I'm just...drawing a blank. I wouldn't know what to do if...if it hit me _smack_ in the face!"

Suddenly, as if on cue, a stray newspaper blew directly into Sophie's face. She gasped, sputtered, and tore the newspaper off. "Bleh! _Stupid_ paper!" Sophie angrily started to throw the paper on the ground, but Harley shot her hand out to stop her.

"Hey, wait a sec!" Harley cried, grabbing the paper before Sophie destroyed it. "Lemme see that!" Harley peeled back the paper and held it carefully. Her eyes scanned an article, and suddenly, her face brightened and she burst into a huge grin. "Oh, this is _great!"_

_"Great?"_ Sophie asked, wiping her face. "I just got smacked in the face with a newspaper. What's so great about _that?"_

Harley giggled happily and grabbed Sophie's hand, excitedly. "Just you wait, sweetie! There's a friend of mine you just _have_ to meet!"


	2. Aunt I

As Harley energetically led them across Gotham City later that night, Sophie was understandably confused. She hadn't even had the chance to take a second glance at the newspaper for a clue before Harley had jerked her away from the Joker's hideout. No matter how many times Sophie had asked Harley to explain where they were going, Harley had been too excited to get past the, "Oh, this is so _amazing!"_ to say anything more. The rain had ceased, which Sophie was thankful for, but she still had a sinking feeling something big was going to happen, soon.

As they walked deeper into Ghetto Gotham, Sophie began to get nervous. This was the part of Gotham City she'd never ventured into, on account of she was certain she'd never have come out again. There was nothing pretty about Gotham's slums. It was filled with the worst of the worst: the worst gangsters, mobsters, you-name-its-and-they've-done-its, thugs, and thieves...and this was coming from someone who _already_ hung out with the worst of the worst.

It was true, for one of Gotham's newest rogues, Sophie was definitely one of the "tamest," and most timid, but she was desperately trying to prove herself to the others even if she wasn't always successful. She tried her best to be brave, as Harley often wished she would be, but now, as they walked deeper and deeper into the darkest, most dangerous part of Gotham City, any ounce of bravery Sophie possessed was whisked away with the cold night breeze.

Sophie gripped onto Harley's arm tightly as they walked down the dark, lonely street. There they were, a very attractive young woman and a cute little girl walking alone in the worst part of Gotham City they could have been in, and Sophie's heart was beating wildly. It didn't help that the rain had washed away any signs of their make-up, so all that was left was their costumes, making them look even more vulnerable. As they made their way down the street, Sophie was half expecting Scarecrow, her most feared villain to appear out of the shadows. This place seemed like his cup of tea.

"H-harley...do you really know where we're going?" Sophie asked, her voice trembling. "I-I know you tell me lots of times that I gotta work on my bravery, but if _this_ is your idea of extreme training, it really _sucks!"_

Harley chuckled a little. "Don't worry, cutie, I know where we're going." They rounded the corner, and saw a group of three young men dressed in leather. They each had green, spiky hair cut into mohawks. As they saw Harley and Sophie approaching, they whistled and howled.

Sophie's blood ran cold as the boys made their way towards them. "Oh, _Harley!"_ she gasped breathlessly. Harley didn't seem to mind the boys as much as Sophie did. She just smiled at them, warmly.

"Well well well, just _what_ do we have here?" asked one of the boys, stepping forward. He was obviously the leader as shown with his boldness. "Two _delicious_ looking pieces of meat. Don't you foxy little chicks know which part of Gotham you're in? You might get into trouble if you're not careful."

Harley gently put her arm around Sophie, whom she could feel was trembling in fear. "We sure do, boys. And trust us, we're completely _fine."_

_"I'll_ say," said another boy, who seemed much younger than the rest, almost as young as Tim Drake. He took a step towards them, his eyes planted right on Sophie. _"Especially_ the cute little clown, here."

Harley's face turned serious, then, and Sophie felt Harley's grip around her tighten a little. "Hey, _back_ off, you creep! You _don't_ wanna mess with me right now. I'm in _no_ mood for it!" Unfortunately, Harley and Sophie had been backed up against a wall, trapped. Harley gritted her teeth, angrily. "You imbeciles _better_ leave us alone. I'm warning you, or you'll be _sorry."_

The third boy grinned and laughed, loudly. "Oh, _really?"_ He crossed his arms over his chest while the others snickered. "Well, it's two against three, and the odds are definitely _not_ in your favor."

Harley narrowed her eyes. "Trust me, darling. You have _no_ idea who you're dealing with."

The younger boy started advancing towards them, a hungry smile on his face. "Calm down, Mama. I just want a little taste, that's all. I promise I won't hurt your little friend..._ too_ bad."

"And _we'll_ take the other one," snarled the leader, rubbing his hands together. "She seems pretty feisty. She's got a little fight in her. I _like_ that."

"Then you're gonna love _this_." Harley let go of Sophie in an instant, and reached into her shoulder bag. Before anyone could react, she pulled out a neon green spray gun and pointed it at the three boys. As she pulled out the gun, her soggy headpiece splattered to the ground, displaying her trademark tassels.

"H-hey, hey Thud," whispered the second boy in a panic. He pointed to Harley's hat. "I know these two clowns! I read about them in the papers. That's Harley Quinn and...Sweetie Pie...th-they're the Joker's girls!"

Thud, their leader, gasped and took a step backwards. "The _Joker?"_

Harley glared at them, her teeth clenched. "That's right, bub. And _you_ three are about to get the last laugh." Harley pulled the trigger on her gun, and sprayed the boys directly in their faces with Joker toxin. They started gasping and coughing the moment the gas hit them. A second later, the boys were laughing hysterically, unable to move or speak as the toxin seeped into their body.

Sophie grinned, relieved that they wouldn't become dinner for the dirty thugs. She started to giggle out of habit. "I guess they really _did_ get the last laugh, huh?"

Harley grinned back at her. "You bet ya. And hey!" She pointed to a dark, dirt road which started just behind where the thugs were a laughing mess. "I'm_ pretty _sure_ that's_ where we're goin'!" She jumped over the thugs with a huge smile on her face. "C'mon!"

Sophie gulped, following her energetic friend. She wrapped her own arms around herself for extra comfort. "I think we woulda had an easier time waiting for Mister Joker to change his mind," she murmured, following closely behind Harley down the even darker, more deserted road.

After awhile, they came upon a huge, run down building behind a tall, vine-covered fence. There were no lights at all, and as far as Sophie could see, the building was completely deserted. Harley took a deep breath and started to climb the wired fence. "Come on, sweetie, let's go!"

Sophie really thought losing the Joker had triggered a more insane part of Harley, because nothing Harley was doing seemed to make any sense. As Sophie climbed up, also, she cleared her throat. "Um, Harley? What on _earth_ are we doing here? _What_ are we _looking_ for?" Sophie asked, expertly climbing the fence with ease. She managed to climb even faster than Harley, and she jumped down on the other side with a somersault.

Harley hopped down a few seconds later and looked towards the building. "Not what, but _who, _sweetie. And if everything goes well, _this_ is where we're gonna be staying for a while."

Sophie gasped. _"Here?_ We're gonna be staying _here?"_

"That's right, honey. Just as soon as we-" Harley turned around to grin at Sophie, but she stopped, mid-sentence. _"Hey,_ what's the big idea?"

Sophie hadn't realized it, but the vines on the fence had begun to shake and move wildly. She turned around too, and gasped in horror. "The...the vines are _alive!"_ Sophie screetched.

Before she or Harley could move an inch, huge vines sprung out from the fence like green snakes and grabbed them both: Sophie by her legs and Harley by her arms.

Sophie had been knocked to the ground, and she angrily kicked the vine which held her. "Get off of me, you stupid weed! Let _go_ of me!"

The vines angrily multiplied as fast as they could as if trying to spite her. They wrapped Sophie up like a mummy all the way up below her nose. Sophie couldn't move an inch or speak a word, since the vines had both bound and gagged her. She mumbled things in fury and tried with all her strength to shake the vines away, but it was no use.

Harley wasn't having much luck either, as her vines tightly wrapped around her arms and had begun to wrap her like a mummy as well. As the vines almost reached her chest, Harley's voice rang out, clearly. "Hey, call off your hounds! For the love of Pete, call them _off!"_

Sophie had no idea who Harley was calling out to, but she hoped it was someone who could do something about the vicious plants. She was beginning to feel light-headed from the tightness of the vines, and she wondered how much longer she could last.

Harley groaned, loudly. "Come _on,_ Red! Get your cute little green toushie out here right now!"

After a moment, Sophie saw the silhouette of a person appear beside them.

"Harley?" said a deep, sultry voice. "Why, I can't believe my eyes!"

The silhouette materialized into an elegant women, and Sophie gasped, loudly. She thought the woman was absolutely beautiful, with her bright red hair and leafy green eyes. The woman walked over to Harley with a little laugh. "I see you're a little tied up at the moment, though, aren't you?"

Harley groaned again. _"Please,_ Red. Do ya mind calling off your little pets before they make _minced_ meat out of us?"

_"Us?"_ Ivy asked, shifting her eyes to the fence. She gasped when she saw Sophie. Or, what was left of Sophie, which by then was just her nose, her freckled cheeks, and her shining blue eyes."Oh, dear!"

Ivy snapped her fingers, and all the vines recoiled just as fast as they had appeared. Sophie gasped and choked upon being able to breathe again. The vines had done a number on her ribcage, ad she felt very sore. Ivy reached out her hand and helped Sophie up from the ground, almost as if it pained her. "Who's your little friend, Harl? And by _little,_ I mean, it appears that she's a... _kid."_

Sophie coughed and took in a few deep breaths before she spoke. "I _am_ a kid. I'm Sophie. It's a pleasure to meet you. Um..._ who_ are you?"

Harley kicked off the remaining vines and put her arm around Ivy, grinning. "This here's Poison Ivy, my true-blue BFF! I'd be completely _lost_ without her! She's like the sister I never had!"

Ivy smiled, too. Harley usually made her crazy, but she had to admit, she did always have a soft spot for her. Ivy glanced at Sophie again, then a lightbulb clicked in her head.

"Hey, wait a _minute,"_ Ivy said, pointing a finger at Sophie. "I know you! You guys have had your pictures splattered all over the Gotham Times lately. I used to read about you over the shoulders of the guards at Arkham Asylum. I have to admit, you're pretty good. For a kid."

Sophie coughed again, but managed a little giggle. "Thank you! I think I learn from the _best_ person there is." She smiled sheepishly at Harley.

"Aw, _shucks,_ sweetie," said Harley with a blush as she pinched Sophie's cheek. "I do what I can, ya know."

"Well, Harley. Maybe one day I'll be able to convince you to finally leave that joke of a joker," said Ivy, rolling her eyes. "Maybe _you'll_ learn from someone who knows a thing or two."

Sophie sneezed then looked at the ground, sadly. "Well, Mister Joker kinda...kicked us out today. I...I dont think we can come back." She bit her lip and looked up at Ivy, pure sadness in her eyes. "I don't think we can come back _ever."_

Harley sighed heavily. "Yeah Red, we're in a real pickle right now. I...I read in the paper that you'd escaped from Arkham, and I just thought-"

Ivy's face fell, and she softened. "And you just thought you could come here and I'd take you in?"

Harley kicked the ground, sheepishly. "Well...yeah."

Sophie sneezed again, and wiped her eyes, sadly. "But, if you don't have room for me, I get it. I was used to being on my own, anyway."

Ivy bit her lip. She just couldn't lie at a time like this. "Well, it's just...I...I don't particularly _like_ children."

Sophie managed a little giggle. "Oh, that's okay, Miss Ivy. Neither does Mister Joker."

Ivy stared at the tiny child in front of her. Ivy had definitely not been lying - she _didn't_ particularly like children, especially seeing as the only kid she came in contact with was Tim, and she despised him. Harley was already enough of a kid for Ivy, but seeing the look on Sophie's face triggered something inside of her that just wouldn't allow her to turn her away. Sophie seemed to Ivy like a tiny little flower, and Ivy would never turn away a flower.

Ivy smiled after a moment, and using all her will power, put her arm around Sophie's shoulder. "Well, any friend of Harley's is always going to be welcome wherever she is. You seem like an... _okay_ kid, so I guess I'm willing to take my chances on you, too."

Sophie was overcome with emotions, as she usually was, and she immediately threw her arms around Ivy in a tight hug. "Oh, thank you so, so _much!_ Thank you, thank you!"

Ivy was taken aback at Sophie's embrace, given that she preferred her plants to humans, and had hardly ever allowed herself to be hugged by anyone, especially a child. After a few seconds, though, she returned the hug and found it not as agonizing as she had thought. "You're welcome, darling."

Harley grinned, widely. "Oh, this is gonna be so _great,_ isn't it, Red? We're gonna be like the Three Musketeers! Fighting crime, defending our honor...eh, I mean, causing chaos and destruction all over Gotham!"

Sophie grinned widely. "Yipee!" She cried happily, wiping her moist eyes, again. Her eyes had been watering and she had no idea why. She rubbed them hard a few times. They had also began to feel itchy the longer she stood in place.

As Ivy lead them up to the building she called home, Sophie began to get happy butterflies in her stomach at the thought of being in the presence of two strong-willed and talented women. First she'd had Harley to look up to, and now she couldn't wait to see what Ivy could teach her, too. As Sophie giddily skipped beside Harley, her happy feeling slowly subsided, as her feeling of butterflies was soon replaced with a feeling of severe nausea. She stopped walked and doubled over, placing her hands on her knees. She felt like she was going to vomit at any moment, and she groaned in pain.

Harley gasped upon noticing Sophie's actions and turned around.

"You guys, I...I feel funny," Sophie murmured weakly, suddenly feeling very light-headed. Her entire body began to tingle, as if every part of her had fallen asleep, and she collapsed to the ground, clutching her stomach.

Harley gasped and rushed over to her in an instant. "Sweetie, what's wrong?" She removed her gloves, put her hands on Sophie's cheeks, and gasped. "Oh my God, you're as hot as fire!"

Ivy came just as quickly, and kneeled down beside Sophie, concern filling her mysterious eyes. She touched Sophie's face, too, feeling the intense heat. "Come on, Harl. We need to get her inside ASAP. I think I know what's going on."

Without wasting a moment, Harley picked Sophie up into her arms with ease and rushed her inside. Ivy had made her "home" quite homey, and Harley would had commented on it had she not been worried sick about Sophie. Harley gently placed Sophie on the couch as Ivy disappeared into the kitchen.

"Harley, what's happening to me?" Sophie asked weakly, coughing after she spoke. "I feel like I have the flu or something, only like, a _million_ times worse! My stomach hurts, my head hurts, my eyes hurt... _everything_ hurts! I feel so _weak."_

Harley immediately placed her hand on Sophie's forehead once more, and gasped. "Well, you're still really feverish, that's for sure."

Sophie's eyes slowly began to close. "I feel so...sleepy..."

"Oh, no ya don't!" Harley yelled, and gently pinched her cheeks. "You're not falling asleep right now, cutie. I remember what happened the last time. Who _knows_ if you'll wake up again or not!"

Sophie was jolted awake by the pinches, and she sat up with all her strength. "Okay, okay." She sneezed and coughed again, as her stomach began to itch a little. She began scratching and scratching, the itching was unbearable. "What?" She slowly lifted up her shirt, curiously.

Harley gasped as she looked at Sophie's stomach. "Geez, you got a terrible rash! Are you allergic to something?"

Ivy appeared just then, a white paper bag in her hand. "That's exactly what I'm thinking, Harl. We're surrounded by toxic plants and chemicals, so it's no wonder your little friend feels sick. With all the stuff she's inhaling, I'm surprised it took this long for symptoms to appear."

Sophie pointed her finger at Harley, and coughed a few times. "How come Harley's not sick? _She's_ been here just as long as me!"

Ivy smiled and sat down next to Sophie on the sofa. "Because Harley's already immune to all my toxins around here. Otherwise, she'd be sick, too. And if you're gonna stay around me, darling, I'm gonna have to give you the same treatment I gave Harley." Ivy opened the bag, to reveal a handful of needles filled with colorful liquid. She reached into the bag to pull out a few of them. "I've got about five here, and if I-"

The moment Sophie saw the needles, she gasped, sitting up. Her eyes were filled with fright and tears, and she could barely breathe.

_"No!_ No more needles! No more needles!" Sophie jumped up and backed away from Ivy as fast as she could, in total hysterics. She shut her eyes, tightly. "Please, no!" She cried, her voice hoarse with emotion.

Ivy looked at Harley, totally confused. "What in the-"

Harley stood up and tried to comfort Sophie as best she could. "Oh, sweetie, it's okay, you-" began Harley, reaching her hand out towards Sophie.

Sophie shoved Harley's hand away. "No! I can't do it, Harley! I _can't!"_ Sophie cried, bursting into tears. She didn't want to hear any word of what Harley had planned to say. She wasn't having any of it. She coughed again through her tears, which turned into a huge coughing fit. She was obviously struggling to breathe, especially after her episode.

Ivy dropped the needles to the floor. "Hey, don't worry, hon! The needles are gone, okay? They're gone!"

Sophie's breathing came back to normal, and she loosed the tightness of her already clenched fists. She looked from Harley to Ivy, who was clearly more confused than anyone.

"I...I..." Sophie began, seeing Ivy's face. She looked terrified, too, and Sophie felt guilty. "I-I'm sorry. It's.. it's just...S-scarecrow, he... used needles on me, too." She began to cry again, and she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "He had so many bad things in them...he hurt me so much, and...he almost killed me. I-I don't like needles."

Harley wrapped Sophie in a hug, smiling at Ivy a little. "I dunno if her fear of needles will ever go away, thanks to Puppethead." She kissed the top of Sophie's head. "And honestly, I don't know if I blame her."

Ivy put her hand on Sophie's back, gently and sincerely, and Sophie turned to smile at her.

"Listen, darling. I'm _not_ Scarecrow. You don't have to be afraid. There's _nothing_ in my antitoxin that will ever hurt you, I promise. But..." Ivy's voice trailed off. "If you _don't_ have them, you're just gonna get sicker and sicker then you already are. We're surrounded by poisonous plants on all sides. They don't call me Poison Ivy for nothing."

Sophie managed to giggle, only to have another coughing fit, again. "Oh, it feels like my throat is closing. It hurts to breathe," she said, clenching her throat.

"You're definitely having an allergic reaction to something, or...to _everything,"_ said Ivy, biting her lip, nervously. "If we don't get some antitoxins into your body right _now__,_ I'm afraid your throat will do more that just _feel_ like it's closing. After that happens, there's nothing I can do to reverse it."

Sophie gulped as she looked at the needles on the floor. She shut her eyes, as a few more tears spilled out of them. She was still terrified, and probably always would be, but she knew she didn't have any other choice than to let Ivy administer the antitoxins. "A-are they gonna hurt?" She asked, weakly, opening her eyes again.

Ivy slowly picked up the needles before answering. "Yes." Ivy didn't feel the need to lie, and she knew it would be far from pleasant.

All of the terrible, horrific memories of being held captive by Scarecrow came flooding back to Sophie as if it were only yesterday she was kidnapped by the madman and treated as a guinea pig, being jabbed and poked with needles on a daily basis. She remembered the agonizing feeling of each needle being stabbed into her body, and how much pain it caused her. Sophie couldn't stop the tears as they continued to flow. Her heart beat wildly in her chest, and even Harley could feel it as she hugged her tightly.

"Don't worry, cutie. I'll be right here with you, I promise," said Harley, motioning for Ivy to prepare the needles. She wanted to make it as quick as possible, just so they could get it over with. Trembling, Sophie sat on the couch as Harley put her arm around her. "Just close your eyes, okay, sweetie? It's gonna be fine."

Sophie took in a huge breath, gulped, and slowly closed her eyes.

Ivy carefully prepared each of the long, thick needles and sat on the couch beside Harley and Sophie. Ivy gently cleaned a place on Sophie's arm, ready to begin the injections. Sophie flinched and gasped, causing another loud, dry coughing fit. Sophie believed Ivy with what she had said, that unless she was given the injections that she would die. Still, she dreaded them as tears began to run down her face through her closed eyes, and she held onto Harley as tight as she could. Harley kissed her forehead, then gasped. "Geez, Red, she's really burning up! Let's get on with it already!"

Ivy held her breath and she squeezed the syringe to release the air, and then, carefully but expertly stuck the needle into Sophie's arm. Sophie flinched and gasped in pain. Ivy had been right, the needle hurt no matter how gently she had tried to make it. As Ivy squeezed the toxins into Sophie's body, the syringe made an awful screeching sound, like a door hinge that needed oil. Sophie remembered the horrible feeling of the Scarecrow's needles at the moment, and she unwillingly relived the terrible moments of it, causing her to quietly begin sobbing, which often turned into coughs.

Ivy finished with the first needle and tossed it away. She continued with her array of antitoxins, concentrating, not looking up from Sophie's arm. With each gentle stab in her arm, Sophie felt herself grow sleepier and sleepier. After a few moments, Ivy pressed the final needle, and Sophie took in a deep, calming breath.

Sophie smiled at Ivy, her eyes glazed over. "Hey," she said sleepily, managing a little giggle. "No more coughing." She lifted up her shirt a little and looked at her stomach. "No more itching."

Harley felt Sophie's forehead, and brightened as well. _"And,_ no more fever!"

Ivy put the last needle down on the table. "How do you feel, Soph?"

Sophie smiled again, and slowly closed her eyes. "I feel fine, Aunt Ivy, but..."

Ivy couldn't help but break into a grin upon hearing Sophie call her "Aunt Ivy," and surprisingly, she liked it. It was definitely something she wasn't used to, and she was surprised at how much she happened to enjoy it. No one could have been more shocked at that than she was.

"I feel like," Sophie continued, "Like...I just wanna...go to _sleep."_ She gently pushed Harley away and lay down on the couch.

Harley gasped and gently shook Sophie's shoulders. She just couldn't risk it, not anymore. "Oh, no, I don't think-"

"Wait, Harl!" Ivy said, stopping Harley before she could shake Sophie anymore. "She needs to sleep. It'll be fine, I promise. She'll need to rest and relax for quite awhile."

Harley glanced at Sophie, who was in a peaceful sleep already. She closed her eyes for a moment. "Oh, Red, you have no idea...Scarecrow _really_ messed her up. The last time she went to sleep after toxic injections, we thought...she was gonna _die._ So, I guess I'm just a teeny-weeny little bit paranoid." She smiled weakly at Ivy. "But I trust you, Red, one-hundred percent."

Ivy smiled. "Atta girl. Come to think of it, sleep will do the _both_ of you good. Let's hit the hay, okay? And tomorrow, we'll figure everything out."


	3. Calling All Henchgirls

Ivy was in no hurry to wake her two sleeping guests the next morning. She knew Harley would need as much rest as she could after getting thrown out of her gang, and that Sophie needed to let the antitoxins work their magic and expected it to take more than a week. As she sipped her all natural herbal tea, she began to feel sorrier and sorrier for both Harley and Sophie...but at the same time, she was incredibly angry at Harley. Time and time again, Harley let the Joker push her around, beat her to a pulp, and yet she always went back to him no matter how much Ivy tried to instill women's values in her. Self-respect, of all things, was something Harley lacked big time.

As Ivy quietly flipped through _The Gotham Times,_ Harley sleepily wandered into the kitchen, letting out a final yawn before sitting down at the table across from her.

Ivy cracked a small smile. "I was wondering when you'd be up, Harl. Did you sleep well?"

Harley yawned loudly again. "No, I could barely sleep a _wink_ last night. I kept having this crazy dream where Mister J was holed up in his room, bawling his eyes out. He was looking fall over Gotham for us. He wanted us to come home again." She glanced at the telephone and bit her lip. She twirled the end of one of her blonde pigtails around her finger. "I wonder if I should call him..."

Ivy slammed the paper down on the table, angrily, making Harley gasp. "You can't be _serious,_ Harl!" Ivy hissed in a loud whisper. "He doesn't _deserve_ your call! _Why_ do you let that jokester treat you that way all the time? Don't you see it's damaging to your psyche?"

Harley scoffed and took a swig of Ivy's tea. "Eh, my psyche is A-OK, Red. I know he... _roughs_ me up a bit, but I don't care about that. I know that deep down inside, somewhere, he _loves_ me. We're a pair, two of a kind. We _belong_ together, no matter what! I love him and I need him, and he loves me and needs me, too."

Ivy stared at Harley for a moment. "But, you are forgetting a little something, Harl."

Harley put down the tea-cup. "Oh yeah? What's that?"

Ivy pointed to the sofa, where Sophie was still sleeping like a baby. _"That_ little something right over there. You've got that little kid with you now, Harl. That little _girl._ What kind of lesson do you think you're teaching her, when you let some _guy_ treat you like you don't matter? Is _that_ the kinda woman you want her growing up to be? A pushover? A doormat like _you?"_

Harley gritted her teeth angrily. "I am _not_ a doormat!"

Ivy gritted her teeth right back. "Then _prove_ it." She thrust the paper at Harley and pointed to an article. The headline read: _Joker seeks to make aggressive expansions to his gang. Great pay, good hours, paid vacations. Two openings for henchgirls. All eligible female applicants need apply._

Harley's face fell, and she gasped in horror, sending a sideways glance at the telephone. "Oh, Puddi-"

Ivy put her finger over Harley's mouth before she could continue. _"Nuh-uh-uh._ Don't say _another_ word, Harl. You being a doormat would be to run back into his arms, begging for forgiveness and telling him you can't live without him. _If_ he really loves you just like you say, let _him_ come to _you._ Show that kid in there that _you_ are a strong woman. Show her something to aspire to be like when she's older."

They heard Sophie stir, and she slowly sat up. Her eyes were still a little bit glossy, and she didn't look very well, yet. "Good morning," she chirped as happily as she could manage. "What're you guys doing?"

Ivy glanced at Harley, who ripped out the advertisement in one flourish. Underneath where she had ripped, Harley noticed another headline which caught her eye: _Shipment of armored cars make their way towards Gotham city tonight_.

Harley crumbled the Joker's ad in her hands and tossed it into the garbage. She laughed and pointed at the armored car headline, grinning at Ivy. "Oh, nothing, sweetie. We were _just_ talking about our next big heist."

* * *

The Joker sat in his chair with his hands over his eyes. It had been just over an hour since he had started his recruitment, but he was already well over it. He'd seen dozens of lame brains, bubble heads, and numb skulls, but hadn't found the ones he had been looking for. They had been creative in their costumes, that was for sure. Some of the more lazy ones had just gone out and exactly replicated Harley and Sophie's costumes, which infuriated the Joker more just to have to look at them.

Later on, after seeing a too-fat man enter wearing costume makeup and a ballerina costume, he had about given up hope.

After the Joker took a cold drink of water, he slunked over to his chair again, ready for the next torture. Suddenly, two girls entered the room without hesitation. One was tall, and the other was at least two heads shorter than the first. They had their blonde hair in pig-tails tied with red and black ribbons. They had white makeup, and were wearing matching black and white checkered leotards with red tights, complete with smirks on their faces.

The Joker sat up a little straighter in his chair. This was more like it. "Why, _hel-lo_ there."

The taller girl took a step forward and blew a kiss at the Joker. "We're here, we're your girls! When's our first assignment? What're we going to do first? Who are we going to kill? Beat up? Rob at gunpoint?"

The Joker chuckled. "Hold up, my dear. How old are you two, anyway?"

The girl looked at the Joker with a sly smile. "As old as you want us to be."

The shorter girl chuckled a little. "My granddaughter is twenty, and I'm-."

The Joker gaped at them. "Your _granddaughter?"_

The shorter woman pulled off her "hair," which turned out to be a wig. Under the wig was short, spikey gray hair. As she wiped off her white clown makeup, it was clear she had plenty of wrinkles.

The Joker gasped in horror. _"What_ the?"

The taller girl pulled off her "hair" as well, to reveal long dreadlocks. She wiped off her makeup, and several piercings and tattoos appeared all over her face.

"What kind of gang do you people think this _is? You'll_ probably break a hip by walking down the stairs!" The Joker cried, pointing his finger at the old woman. "And _you,_ you punk, there's _no_ job, here, go find a circus to work for!"

Grumbling, both women stormed off. The door opened after them, and a professional looking woman in a suit came in. "Hello. I'm here to apply for the secretary job."

The Joker sighed and waved her out. "Three floors up."

A moment later, two short men with a pet lion entered.

"Two floors _down,"_ said the Joker without missing a beat.

After seeing a woman who had a hard time remembering who own name, and one who couldn't figure out the difference between a time-bomb and a kitchen timer, the Joker slumped back in his chair, defeated.

"Are there not two people in the _whole_ of Gotham worth my time?" He bellowed. "Of all the lousy, good-for-nothing, _no_ good-"

Suddenly, the door opened and in stepped two women, almost identical. They were tall, slender, and he couldn't help but notice they were nicely filled out. They were wearing contrasting catsuit spandex-ed costumes: half green, half purple with white diamonds placed sporadically around it. One was wearing a green mask and the other wore purple. The girl with the green mask wore a short purple wig, and the girl with the purple mask wore a short green wig. The Joker was in awe at what he saw.

"We've come to apply for the positions," they said together, almost like a robot.

The Joker bounded up from his chair and slicked back his hair. "I'll _bet_ you did. What're your names, Good-Lookings?"

The girl with the purple hair stepped forward. "I'm called Ying, and my sister is Yang."

The Joker squealed with girlish excitement. "Oh, _goody!_ I _love_ being culturally educated. And what Asian country might you lovely ladies be from, hm? Japan? The Philippines? Hawaii? China? Vietnam? Korea?"

The girls were silent for a moment. "We're from Idaho."

The Joker took in a deep breath, feeling himself blush. "Oh. Uh, _right._ Are...either of you a grandmother?"

The twins looked at each other, then back at the Joker. "No."

The Joker stepped down from his chair. "Well, just how serious are you about this job? Because I can assure you, it's no-"

Yang reached behind her and magically pulled out a semi-automatic gun and tossed it on the floor in front of the Joker.

_"Joke,"_ he finished, half in a daze. He began to laugh, laugh, and laugh some more. "Well, that _is_ serious!" He walked over to the two girls and put his arms around them. "Ladies, welcome to the gang!"


	4. We need to talk about Sophie

If Sophie had thought she'd been bored when she was first inducted in the Joker's gang, nothing could have prepared her for being with Harley and Ivy's. It was the same scenario all over again where she was "forbidden" to go out, only this time, it was more agonizing than before. Sophie felt like a bird in a cage, especially since she had to spend her time cooped up inside recovering from Ivy's antitoxins. She knew she would regain her strength eventually, but the waiting killed her. Sure, she was grateful that now she wouldn't get sick from being around Ivy, but not even having the power to attempt sneaking out was unbearable. She had already tried several times to creep out the door behind her two friends, but she just didn't have the energy. Before even reaching the door, she'd had to retreat back to the coach once the nausea overcame her, thus further "sealing" her fate as an unwilling couch potato.

One morning after waking, Sophie lowly sat up and rubbed her eyes. To her great delight, she realized her stomach no longer felt queasy as it had the previous week, and she broke into a grin. That was more like it. Although, as she began to really wake up, she noticed the eerie quietness which surrounded her. Usually Harley was the first one up and already bounding around the place, so it felt unusual not to see...or hear her.

"Harley?" Sophie called out. Nothing. "Ivy?" Still nothing. "Hey, are you guys here?"

When they didn't answer after a few seconds, Sophie smiled a little. "I guess they're still out from the job last night," she thought out loud. Her cheery expression slowly faded after a moment, and she sighed heavily. "Lucky _them._"

She noticed an old newspaper she'd read numerous times, and she managed to smile again once she saw the headline. Ever since Harley and Ivy had started their new partnership, they had pulled off many, many heists. Every day the papers would show the frustrations of the Gotham City police department because they still hadn't been ale to catch them. They couldn't even catch more than a glimpse of their shadows! For the past few weeks Harley and Ivy had been splattered on the front page of every major newspaper, but Sophie was annoyed that the reporters hadn't even been able to see it was indeed Harley and Ivy, so they had just dubbed the pair, "_Double Trouble._" Sophie hated the fact that Harley and Ivy weren't getting the recognition they deserved, but she hoped that would change, soon, once the police would finally realize just who was doing the crimes.

Sophie looked around the room and heaved a long, sad sigh. She had just woken up, yet she was already feeling lonely and bored. She climbed off the sofa and got herself a cup of orange juice, passing the bowl of fresh, healthy fruit Ivy had set out for her, then glancing at the chocolate cupcake that Harley had obviously left out. Sophie contemplated on which one she should eat, and in the end, temptation got the better of her and she decided for the cupcake. She ate the sweet treat in a few bites, savoring every morsel. Cupcakes for breakfast was always a good idea in her book She carefully wiped the end of her nose, which had a few spats of frosting on it. As far as her health was concerned, she felt loads better, and her heart soared. Regaining her strength meant she would be able to be Sweetie Pie again, instead of being cooped up inside their hideout all day and night.

Just after Sophie had finished her less-than-healthy breakfast, she slumped over to the couch and sat down, heaving a great big sigh. She wished Harley and Ivy would come back, just so she wouldn't have to be alone. As if on cue, the front door suddenly banged open and Harley and Ivy came bounding in, their hands full of duffel bags.

Sophie squealed and ran to greet them, happily. She couldn't describe how happy she felt. "Oh, you guys were out all night, weren't you? Wow, I bet you got _tons_ of stuff, didn't ya?"

Ivy smiled and tossed her duffel bag to the floor. "We sure were, and we got a _heck_ of a load, this time!" She smiled as she put her hands on Sophie's face. "Hey, you look a while lot better, darling."

"I _feel_ a whole lot better!" Sophie cried, happily. She dropped to her knees and anxiously opened one of the bags, eagerly anticipating what they'd swiped this time. There were clumps of bills tied with blue rubber bands stuffed inside almost to he brim. Sophie squealed and clapped her hands in delight. "Oh, _wow!_ There must be like, a _million_ dollars here!"

Harley chuckled and dumped the remaining contents of the second bag onto the floor. More and more clumps of bills scattered around them. "Not quite, cupcake. In each of those little bundles we got about five grand, and we only made off with about fifty of 'em in total. B-man and Birdbrain crashed the party." She narrowed her eyes in disgust. "Those little _pests._ "

Sophie tapped her bottom lip with her finger as the wheels turned in her head. "Oh, so that means we have...um...nine thousand dollars, right?"

Ivy and Harley looked at each other, dumfounded.

"What was that, pumpkin?" Ivy asked, frowning. "Fifty times five isn't even _close_ to nine thousand."

Sophie felt her cheeks turn pink as she noticed her friends giving her funny stares. "Oh, right. I-I mean, um...fifty times five is...two thousand...hundred. Or _something."_

Harley gaped at Sophie, her eyes wide. She began to feel a little woozy. "Oh,_ please_ tell me you're joking, sweetie!"

Sophie glanced back and forth at Harley and Ivy, gulping. They had never looked at her like that before, and she had no idea what had happened, but she began to feel nervous. "W-was it something I said?" she asked, nervously. "I mean, I was just _guessing._ I dunno how much it is! It's _impossible_ to count it all when there's so much of it!"

Ivy smiled gently and put her hand on Sophie's shoulder. "Actually, it's _not_ impossible, honey. It's simple multiplication is all."

Sophie wrinkled her nose. "Multiplication?" She scoffed. "Oh, yeah, I remember that, maybe. We were learning some of that in school, at least I _think_ we were." She shrugged her shoulders and picked up a few stacks of bills. "Then again, I don't really _remember_ that. But, who cares, right?"

Harley's mouth dropped open, and she let out a loud groan. In an instant, she toppled to her knees. She covered her face in her hands and moaned. "Oh, I can't believe this. I can't _believe_ this!"

Sophie gasped at Harley's outburst. "Harley, what's wrong?"

"Oh, I shoulda known, Red," said Harley through her hands, completely ignoring Sophie. "No school since age nine, it's no _wonder!_ Oh, how could I have been such an _idiot!"_

Ivy smiled gently at Harley. "I guess it wasn't something to think about until now, hm?"

Sophie looked back and forth between the two women. "What, Aunt Ivy?"

Harley uncovered her face and turned to Sophie. "It's all _my_ fault, cutie. You and I were so busy being criminals and blowing stuff up, robbing places, and dodging the Bats that I never realized what you were missing out on. The most important thing for your life!"

Sophie looked at her with a grin. "My own bazooka like yours?"

Harley shook her head. "No, sweetie. _School."_

Sophie jumped up from the floor as if her rear end were on fire. _"School?"_ she squeaked.

Ivy nodded in agreement. "If you can't do a simple multiplication problem, darling, you're seriously lacking in the education department, and that's a huge problem. It's a basic life skill that's gonna be useful when you're older."

"But.. but," Sophie cried. "I...I don't _need_ any more life skills! I...I already _have_ all the life skills I need! I know how to defuse a bomb, I know how to shoot a 47, I know how to hotwire a car-"

"_I_ taught her that," Harley said, beaming proudly.

"So...what do I need stupid _school_ for?" Sophie finished. "I mean, what about...what about all those crazy books you and Mister Joker stole for me, Harley? I read them all, cover to cover!" She turned to Ivy, her eyes wide. "A-and I read all _your_ books and magazines, Aunt Ivy, really! I love to read! I..I know all about poisonous plants and everything. I'm practically an _expert!_ Doesn't...doesn't being able to _read_ count as something?"

Ivy sighed. "It counts, hon, but if you can't _count,_ what good will the rest of that stuff do you?"

Sophie bit her lip nervously, then scoffed a little. "Oh, you know, I was just _kidding._ I...I know _all_ kinds of math. I was just... I was just playing a little joke on you guys, that's all."

Ivy crossed her arms over her chest. "A little joke, huh?"

Sophie gulped. "Y-yeah."

"Okay, then," said Ivy, her face stern. "Tell me six times seven."

Sophie smiled weakly. "Oh, that's _easy."_ Sophie took a deep breath before she continued. She had absolutely no idea what the answer was. "Six times seven is...is twenty...uh...five."

Harley sucked in a gasped breath in horror.

"Four hundred?" tried Sophie. When Ivy closed her eyes and put her hand on her temple, Sophie panicked. _"Three!"_

"Really, honey. You'll thank us later, I promise," Ivy said, putting a hand on Sophie's shoulder, again. "Going to school isn't up for discussion. Even Harley and I are well-educated women, just like you should be."

"Yeah! I mean, you don't wanna be just a dumb, blonde air-head your whole life, do ya?" Harley asked.

Sophie thought for a minute. _"Yes!"_

Harley grinned in spite of herself. "Well, _I'm_ not gonna have you growing up to be stupid, sweetie. You need real teachers and a real education, not just some books that I stole for you in the dumpters behind the public library." Sophie was silent, so Harley continued without missing a beat. "So, it's settled, then. I'm taking you downtown first thing tomorrow and we're gonna get you registered for school."

Sophie sat on the couch again, and put her hand to her forehead. "Oh, but, I think I might still be sick from Aunt Ivy's medicine, Harley. I _can't_ go to school if I'm still sick!"

Harley sat down on the couch next to her and jabbed Sophie in her sides, making her squirm and giggle. "You're _not_ sick!"

Sophie stopped laughing and looked at Ivy, in hopes of making at least one of them change their minds. "I-I _can't_ go to school...because...because people think I'm dead!" She grinned at Ivy, ecstatic that she actually had found a valid reason. "I was killed in a boating accident! Sophie Gabriela Pieska is d-e-a-d. Dead!"

Ivy smiled, too. "Fake name, dear."

Sophie glanced at both Harley and Ivy, who had determination in their eyes. It was obvious that nothing she could say would be able to change their minds.

She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. She had one last trick up her sleeve. "Well, ya know what I say about all this? I say, _no."_

_"No?"_ Harley and Ivy repeated, raising their eyebrows.

Sophie narrowed her eyes. "No. I'm _not_ going because I don't _want_ to."

Harley frowned. "This isn't open for discussion, cutie. You're going, and that's that."

"No, I'm _not,"_ said Sophie huffed, defiantly.

Harley crossed her arms over her chest, too. "Listen you. You're _way_ too young to be rebellious. I've got _years_ of peace before you hit that...terrible teenage stage!"

"Well then, I'm starting early, because I _don't_ wanna go to school, and _you_ can't make me!" Sophie cried, her teeth gritted as she stood up.

Harley clicked her tongue and took a glance at Ivy, then back at Sophie. Harley had wanted to adopt a kid, and that's what she got. This was most likely going to be her first real test as the "mother" of one who didn't want to do as she was told.

Harley stood up, too, her arms still crossed squarely over her chest. "Oh, _really?"_

_"Really,"_ said Sophie, turning to face Harley with all the determination she could muster.

Harley balled up her fists, angrily. "You're _going,_ even if I have to drag you downtown bound and gagged!"

Sophie's mouth dropped open and she gasped. She stared at Harley, her eyes ablaze and her fists clenched, too. "You wouldn't _dare."_

Harley glared down at Sophie until their noses were touching. "Just _try_ me."

* * *

Harley whistled happily as she led Sophie down the street the next day. Harley was dressed in normal, everyday civilian clothes, topped with a long, curly blonde wig. She had picked out her attire herself, and even if the wig was tickling the back of her neck and was insanely itchy up top, she was satisfied with it. Just as Harley had threatened, Sophie was wrapped in one of Ivy's precious vines like ropes, so she wasn't able to move her arms at all. A dark green patch of her special sticky leaves was firmly planted over Sophie's mouth so no words could escape. Ivy had almost decided to go with them, but at the last moment, she refused. Mostly because the thought of being surrounded by tons of children made her nauseous. Ivy had warmed up to Sophie in a matter of no time, and she really liked her, but she couldn't handle the thought of being in the same vicinity of tiny little people on all sides.

Sophie protested the entire trip, but Harley just continued to happily chat as they walked, oblivious to Sophie's mumbled, muffled complaints.

"No need to worry, everyone," Harley chirped in a high-pitched voice to the other pedestrians they met on their way. "Poor dear has contracted a highly contagious, highly _deadly_ disease, so steer clear, all of ya!"

People gasped in the streets upon hearing about Sophie's disease, which only made Harley giggle more, especially after they literally jumped out of their way as to not get near them.

Sophie mumbled something inaudible, then burst into loud, muffled giggles, unable to contain her anger after seeing the way people reacted to Harley's outlandish lie.

As they sat on the seats in the subway, the rest of the tunnel crowd stood or sat as far away from them as they could. They had all believed Harley's tale of Sophie's dangerous disease, that they all hurriedly exited at the next stop, whether it was their final destination or not.

"Listen, sweetie," Harley said, seeing as their was no one else in their entire car at that moment. "This is really for your own good, you know. Not the whole, tying you up and everything, but I mean, going to school. I'm not joking. Your knowledge is something no one can _ever_ take away from you."

Sophie turned her gaze away from Harley. She didn't want to hear any of it, and she was still livid at her for making her go.

Harley wasnt going to let Sophie ignore her, and she angrily poked Sophie in her ribs, her most ticklish spot, until she was a squirming, giggling mess.

"Hey, come on, sweetie, I'm _serious!"_ Harley said, frowning. "I _promise,_ you're gonna love it. You'll get to socialize with other snot-nosed little brats in this town. What more could you ask for?"

Sophie let out a huge exhale from her nose and mumbled something, making Harley laugh, again. "Okay, whatever you say, sweetie."

Later that morning, Sophie nervously bit her lip as she and Harley sat in the principal's office of her new school. Harley had graciously untied and un-gagged her before they had reached the school, and even as Sophie tried to run away, Harley had been too quick and had grabbed her around her waist before she could even take three steps. Sophie knew she could in no way or from out run or out flip Harley, so she had finally decided to give in and just go willingly.

Even if they were doing nothing but registering for school, Sophie was still a nervous wreck. Sophie and Harley always had a knack at making even the simplest things much more difficult than they had to be, and Sophie was listing three hundred and three things in her head that could possibly go wrong. Her palms began to sweat as she imagined policemen and the Bat Family racing in to capture them. She wiped her palms on the chair and inhaled deeply, trying to calm her beating heart.

Harley noticed Sophie fidgeting, and poked her a few times. "Come on, cutie. Will you _relax_ already? She hasn't even come back in here, yet!"

Sophie gulped. "I know, but...I've been thinking. I mean, do you _really_ want me to go to school, anyway?"

Harley nodded. "Of _course._ You need an education. You're too little not to have one."

"Okay," Sophie said, grinning widely. She had seen a loophole. "So, next year when I'm _not_ little anymore, I can stop going?"

Harley narrowed her eyes. "No, you most certainly can_not_. You can stop after high school, if you want. I would prefer you to go to college, but that's gonna be up to you."

"Did _you_ go to college?" Sophie asked, wide-eyed.

Harley beamed. "You betcha I did! Gotham Univeristy, Psychology."

Sophie sat back into her chair so her legs were dangling off the bottom. "Oh." She kicked her legs back and forth a few times. "Did you make good grades?"

Harley's cheeks turned a little shade of pink at the question, but she grinned widely, obviously pleased with herself. "Yeah, I did, _especially_ on my finals! You wanna know how I did it?"

The moment Harley spoke the words, she regretted them, and felt her entire face flush bright red. That subject was definitely not meant for her 11-year-old companion's ears.

Sophie sat up in her chair, her eyes sparkling. "Yeah, _how?"_

Harley was saved at the very next moment when the door to the office burst open. She could have leapt and kissed the woman for interrupting their conversation, and she only hoped they would never have to continue it for at least another six years.

"Good morning, I'm so sorry I was delayed," said the woman with a warm smile. She shook Harley's hand and smiled warmly at Sophie. "I'm Mrs. Nikros, and on behalf of all of us here at Gotham City School, we'd like to say how happy we are that you've decided to enroll here with us. It's such a tragedy about what happened to your previous school records, with that terrible fire and all the computer databases crashing."

Harley nodded, solemnly. "Yeah, it was a real shame. Luckily, we got all the records right up here." She tapped on her temple with a grin.

Sophie had to stifle back a giggle. Harley's head was full of air, and nothing else.

"Now," said Mrs. Nikros, still smiling. "You are Sophie's legal guardian, is that correct?"

Harley's eyes brimmed with tears upon hearing those words. She could get emotional over things like that. "Y-yes, I am."

Mrs. Nikros looked at Harley oddly. She'd never encountered anyone crying over such a question before, and she wondered where it was going. "Al..right. Any relation to the student?"

Harley gulped, the tears still inside of her eyes. "Sister," she squeaked.

"Mother," Sophie said, at the same time as Harley had spoken.

Both girls looked at each other, horrified at not being able to give the same answer.

"Mother," said Harley, in a rush.

"Sister," Sophie said, again at the same time as Harley.

"Sister Mother?" Mrs. Nikros repeated, her eyes widening at such an answer.

Sophie took Harley's hand in hers with a little smile. "Well, you might as well just write down, "mother." 'Cause she's the closest thing I'm ever gonna get to that."

Harley couldn't contain her emotions anymore, and she burst into tears and took Sophie into a tight hug. "Oh, sweetie, I love you so much!"

Mrs. Nikros just stared wide-eyed at the two crazies sitting in her office. She had a good mind to call security.

Harley finally calmed down, and blew her nose like an elephant trumpeting. "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Nikros. We've just been through quite a lot recently and it's done a number me. I'm fine, now."

Mrs Nikros cleared her throat and blinked her eyes. "It's no problem. So, relationship to the student, is, mother. Or, sister, or...maybe just, Legal Guardian will do." Mrs. Nikros read through Sophie's freshly made up file."Oh, I'm afraid Sophie doesn't have a last name listed."

Sophie and Harley looked at each other in horror. Sophie knew that since she was a runaway from an orphanage, and that she was presumably dead, she couldn't very well use her own last name, but she had completely forgotten about thinking up a new one ,and obviously so had Harley.

"Uh," Sophie said, glancing at Harley for help. It was no use, as Harley was drawing a blank, too.

"Your last name," Harley said, slowly, the wheels turning in her head.

"Well, ya see," Sophie began. She knew they had to think of something completely untraceable to any of them. It had to be a good one, something that no one would be able to recognize. It's...uh..."

"Quinzel!" Harley blurted, her fists clenched.

"Quinzel?" Sophie repeated, her voice cracking in amazement.

"Quinzel," Mrs. Nikros repreated, writing it down.

"Are you _crazy?"_ Sophie hissed in a hush whisper, smacking her forehead with her hand.

"I _panicked,"_ Harley hissed back.

Sophie put her head in her hands.

"I-is there a problem?" Mrs. Nikros asked, looking back and forth from each girl. She wondered if she would need medical attention after spending any more time with these two. "Sophie Quinzel, is that... is that your name?"

Suddenly, Sophie burst into giggles at the sheer craziness of the whole episode. "Yes ma'am, Sophie Gabriela Quinzel."

Harley began laughing too, and Mrs. Nikros just shook her head. "And what grade will you be attending, Miss Quinzel?"

Both girls stopped laughing. Sophie hadn't attended school in years, so she certainly wasn't in the same grade as she was when she stopped going. But, she had no idea what grade she _should_ have been in.

Harley stared at Mrs. Nikros. "Oh, that's easy."

"Considering her age, I believe she would be in..." Mrs. Nikros's voice trailed off, and she waited for Harley to continue.

"She would be in..." Harley repeated, slowly.

"S..." began Mrs. Nikros.

"Se..." tried Harley.

"Si-" said Mrs. Nikros.

_"Si...xteenth"_ said Harley.

"Sixth," said Mrs. Nikros, shaking her head in confusion.

"Right, right. Sixth grade, of _course,"_ Harley said, smiling too widely. "I _loved_ sixth grade. Best three years of my life, I'll tell ya!"

Mrs. Nikros cleared her throat again and hastily wrote down as much as possible. She wanted to get those two out as soon as she could. "Alright, Miss Quinzel. We're all set, I believe. Just go to the front office for your schedule, and we'll see you on Monday. We hope you'll...uh...fit right in here at Gotham City School."

Harley and Sophie stood up, and Mrs. Nikros flinched a little as Harley stuck out her hand to shake. She wasn't sure what those two could do. As they left the office, Mirs. Nikros sighed, heavily. "What a _strange_ pair of clowns those two are."


	5. Tim Drake isn't crazy, is he?

Tim sat in his desk in his classroom, his face resting in his hands. He had so many emotions running through his head at that moment, and he just didn't know how to deal with them. He felt incredibly sad, incredibly angry, incredibly upset, and incredibly like his mind was a thousands miles away. He'd been this way for months, ever since Barbara had told him about Sophie's untimely death.

Barbara had actually debated telling him at all, but she felt it the right thing to do. She'd discovered the story by accident while she'd been doing online research for one of her school papers. There, she'd been scanning various news stories in several different cities, and had come across Sophie's purely by mistake. Barbara had to read it several times before it finally sunk in. But even then, she didn't want to believe it. She had immediately told Bruce what she'd found, and upon further investigations and strings pulled by the famous Bruce Wayne, they had confirmed the validity of the horrific story. Barbara had especially dreaded having to relay the news to Harley, but she knew she had to tell her, and had counted her lucky stars that she'd found her out of her hideout. Harley had been in shock at first, and Barbara had left her to express her own emotions how she wanted, but Barbara had no idea how Harley had really handled the news. They had all handled it differently. Barbara herself had been completely heartbroken and had openly cried several times, Bruce and Alfred had also shown signs of sadness, but Tim had behaved normally and had just kept his cool. He had continued on with his daily life as usual as if nothing had happened. Or so they all thought.

Behind closed doors, Tim had obsessively read the article over and over until he had it practically memorized, and it was constantly being replayed in his mind until he couldn't focus on anything else. He could remember the article quite well, almost word-for-word: _Tragic news has befallen our fair city. The beloved and generous Thurston's, one of the wealthiest and most liked families, Mark, 45, Arleen, 39, and their newly adopted daughter Sophie Pieska Thurston, 11, are dead. The Thurston's, along with their tour guide Alfonzo Lezniuq, 57 and his wife, Esmerelda, 61 were killed this weekend in what authorities believe to be an unfortunate freak accident. The Thurston's had been vacationing with their daughter on their river boat The Harlequin's Flower, and had arranged for a river tour. Shortly after lunchtime, authorities believe they experienced engine trouble, which turned into an explosion. Police and rescue workers were called to the scene, but the river is known for its many dangerous animals such as snakes and alligators, and the only remains found were a few tattered clothes and various other belongings. The entire city is plagued with sadness over the loss of the Thurston's, and offer condolences to the Lezniuq family and anyone else affected by this tragic loss._

Tim often had dreams about Sophie, vivid dreams where they were again chasing after one another, the Joker's gang and the Bats. In his dreams everything seemed to be normal, every day life. When he would wake after such a dream, he would be confused on what was reality and what wasn't. His dreams felt so real. What he wouldn't give to see Sophie's deep blue eyes again, hear her constant giggly laugh, or even listen to her Birdbrain insults.

"What do _you_ think the answer is, Mister Drake?" His teacher piped, startling him back to reality.

"Uh," Tim stared down at his book at the open page. It was something about the branches of government, which he honestly remembered nothing about. "The governor?"

The rest of his class burst into loud laughter, and Tim felt his cheeks burn as he slumped down further into his desk.

"The _governor_ clogs up the Noodle River?" asked the teacher, her voice cracking.

Tim glanced beside him at his classmate's book, and hastily turned the pages until he was on the same page as the rest of the class. His teacher stared at him and shook her head disapprovingly.

After school that day, Bruce was sitting in the backseat of his car as Alfred drove he and Tim home again. Bruce was happy to be able to have some time to speak with Tim. Sometimes he felt like he didn't get enough time to do that.

After siting in silence for a while, Bruce cleared his throat. "Uh, Tim, I got a call from your principal this afternoon."

Tim sat up straighter in his chair. _"Great._ That woman _hates_ me!"

Bruce smiled a little. "I doubt that. But she _did_ say she was informed by your teachers that all of your grades are slipping, and that your attention is anywhere but on the lessons. What's going on?"

Tim shuffled uncomfortably in his seat. "I dunno. I just don't really feel much like doing school work lately, that's all."

Bruce eyed Tim suspiciously. "You used to work quite well in school and you had wonderful grades. Why do you have a problem, now?"

Tim turned his gaze to the window. "I just _do,_ okay?"

Bruce and Alfred exchanged glances through the overhead mirror. Tim was acting exactly as they had assumed a defiant teenager would.

"There isn't anything you want to talk to me about? Anything I can do to help?" Bruce asked, carefully.

Tim sucked in a huge breath, almost like a scoff. "Yeah, _right."_

Later that night, Tim angrily punched and kicked Bruce's punching bag in the Batcave. Barbara drove in just then, parked her motorcycle, and climbed down. Tim didn't glance her way, he just continued to angrily punch and kick as hard as he could. Barbara removed her helmet and set it down. She walked over to Tim and began play fighting him, instead of him using all his energy on the punching bag. After a few moments, Tim couldn't help but break into a grin even if Barbara had knocked him to the ground and had won the "round."

As she helped him up, she smiled, too. "Boy, you've _really_ been practicing, haven't you?"

Tim brushed himself off. "Well, I've just had loads of time to..._ think,_ I guess. I just needed to hit something." He punched the bag with more force, this time. _"Often."_

Barbara stared at him before she spoke. "Is that why your grades are in the dumps and you can't concentrate in school?"

Tim looked at her in shock.

"Yeah, I know all about it," Barbara said gently. "Look, maybe you can't tell Bruce everything right now, but you can tell me _anything_ you want, and you know that."

Tim sighed heavily. "I just...I just..." he took a deep breath and stopped speaking. He turned his gaze back to the punching bag and began punching as hard as he could, again.

"It's about Sophie, isn't it?" Barbara asked, startling Tim a great deal. He stopped punching, but didn't look at her. "I _know_ it is. Ever since we found out she'd been killed in that accident, you've been slowly spiraling downhill. Maybe you try to act all tough on the outside, but _I_ can see how you feel on the inside."

Tim took another deep breath and wiped the back of his eyes, feeling a blush coming on. He hated showing too many emotions. "It's just not _fair,_ Barb."

Barbara put her hand on his shoulder, gently. "I know it's not fair, Tim. know. Sometimes _life_ isn't fair. But you _can't_ let it destroy you!"

"I know, and I'm trying not to, really!" Tim cried, sincerely. "But...I just can't concentrate on anything else anymore. I...I think about Sophie all the time." He punched the bag. "I have dreams about her every other night, that we're just right back where we left off, the Joker giving us the run-around and all that stuff. Sometimes I even imagine that she would come walking down the street!"

"But she _won't,_ Tim. She's gone," said Barbara, gently.

Tim paused and wiped his eyes, again. "We...we got her away from Scarecrow just in the nick of time, and then she gets killed anyway! All because of a _stupid,_ faulty boat engine!" He punched the bag again, a few times. "Of all the people we've saved, Barb, why couldn't we save _her,_ too?"

Barbara sighed, clearly feeling upset at seeing her young partner like he was. Bruce walked in, also caped and ready for a nightly patrol.

"Because sometimes we just can't save everyone from everything," Bruce said, gently. "Sometimes accidents just happen. Sometimes _fate_ just happens." His jaw tightened as he remembered his own tragic childhood loss. He of all people knew about tragedy. "The only thing we can do is live our own lives to the fullest. We can't dwell on the past or what might have been. thinking about the what-ifs will just drive you mad. We have to move on." He put his strong hand on Tim's shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. "We _have_ to move on no matter how much it hurts."

Barbara smiled a little. "I'm sure that's why we haven't seen Harley out in a while, either. I bet she's been taking the news harder than anyone."

Barbara had wagered that after her initial shock, Harley would have been driven mad with sadness, seeing on how close she and Sophie had become. Barbara remembered Harley had been almost inconsolable when Sophie had been kidnapped by the Scarecrow's thugs, and even more so when she had fallen ill by his toxins, so to hear that Sophie was indeed dead, Barbara had no idea how Harley had handled it. After informing her of the accident, Barbara had secretly searched around Gotham looking for signs of the masked jester, and every time they busted a robbery or thwarted a crime, she had hoped it would be Harley, just so she could see she was really "okay." But so far, Barbara hadn't seen a single trace of her.

Tim kicked the floor. He had nothing more to say about it, and Bruce could tell he didn't. He cleared his throat and handed the newspaper to Barbara, deciding to change the subject.

"The police are still looking for the two strange new robbers we have. They haven't been able to catch them, or even get more than a glimpse other than their shadows. Whoever they are, they work with great speed and agility."

"Speed and agility," repeated Barbara, slowly. Her eyes brightened just a bit. "Speaking of Harley, that sounds an _awful_ lot like her, doesn't it?" Her voice seemed cheery once she came to that realization. "It sounds _exactly_ like her, in fact."

"But the Joker isn't really speedy, or agile," said Tim. "Unless..."

They looked at Bruce, who put his hand on his chin. "Unless Harley's got herself a certain tree-hugging Arkham escapee to help."

Tim smiled a little, trying his best to snap out of his depression. "What do ya say we crash their little party, next time they're out?"

Even if Tim had finally confessed his reasons for his funk, he had to admit he still didn't feel better. Even their weekend patrol had proved to not reap a thing. It was one of the most boring weekend patrols they'd ever had, in fact.

As he trudged to school on Monday, he was still in a sad daze. He wondered how long this feeling would last. As he took a drink from the water fountain, his eyes gazed around the school yard. He saw a group of kids dressed all in black and red, real punks, preppy girls, nerdy girls, then he saw something which made him spit the water from his mouth out in shock.

There, walking up the yard, was a girl who looked identical to Sophie. He blinked hard and rubbed his eyes. When he opened them again, the girl had disappeared. He ran around frantically trying to find the mystery girl, sometimes knocking over other students who mumbled angrily at him, but she was nowhere to be seen.

At lunch he was sure he was going crazy, because again, he saw the same girl walk past him. When she appeared, he was so shocked that he dropped his lunch tray all over the floor. Everyone in the cafeteria gasped and looked at him, which caused him to turn red. But after he had cleaned up his mess, the girl had, to his horror, disappeared.

The same thing happened in gym class - Tim was running laps outside and was sure he had seen the same look-a-like girl doing stretches on the grass. When he finished his laps, the girl had vanished once more. Tim knew something was really wrong with himself, and he wondered if he really _was_ seeing things

"You _really_ gotta pull yourself together, Tim," he mumbled to himself later that night. He stood in the Batcave, almost in a trance. "Otherwise, _you'll_ be the one who's gonna have a new room at Arkham! Sophie's _dead,_ you _nimrod._ She died in that riverboat. I _don't_ see dead people who don't know they're dead! I'm _not_ crazy!" As he slowly put on his mask, the image of the Sophie lookalike flashed in his head just as clear as it was when she had seen her. _"Am_ I?"


	6. This Town Ain't Big Enough

As Sophie trudged into the front door after her first day of school, Harley was annoyingly chipper and eager to talk.

"So," squeaked Harley the instant Sophie appeared. "Did you have a good day at school, sweetie?"

Sophie threw her backpack down on the sofa and slumped down onto it. "Yes, Mommy. It was just _wonderful."_ Her voice dripped with evident sarcasm. "There's a _stupid_ girl in my third period who laughed at my socks," Sophie looked down at her colorful mismatched socks which she loved wearing. "So, I put a rusty tack in her chair and she had to go to the nurse. I hope she gets tetanus. And I wanna shove a nail through my math teacher's _head_ because she embarrassed me in front of the class today like a _jerkface_ just because I didn't know the answer to her _stupid_ problem. The other kids thought it was just _so_ hilarious that I couldn't solve it, and yet the teacher had to ask me like, _three_ times even if I _told_ her I didn't know the answer_. _ If she does it again I'm gonna spray her in her fat ugly face with Mister Joker's toxin. _Or_ I'll put a bomb in the teacher's lounge. _Or_ I'll cut the brake wires in her _stupid_ car."

Harley burst out laughing after hearing Sophie's angry rant, and ended up laughing so hard she couldn't speak.

Ivy came in just then, having heard the end of Sophie's long, angry story. "Oh, _no_ you don't, kiddo. You have to be as normal as possible when you're out of costume, now. Setting off bombs and using joker toxin is _not_ being normal. I know kids and even adults can be awful, but you _have_ to be calm when you're out in public."

Sophie threw her hands up in the air. "But, I _will_ be calm! If I just bring flowers for my classmates laced with poison, then I can get rid of them all at _once!"_

Harley smiled put her finger to her lip, "Hey, that's actually-"

"For-_bid-_den," said Ivy, sternly. "Extreme violence is _strictly_ verboten."

"But..but they _deserve_ it!" Sophie cried, in protest.

"Doesn't matter if they deserve it or not, darling," Ivy said. "You're _not_ to draw _any_ attention to yourself in that way. No weapons, no bombs, no gags, no toxin, no _nothing_."

"But, I _promise_ I won't _kill_ them, Aunt Ivy," Sophie mumbled. "I just wanna _hurt_ them a little." Her eyes narrowed. _"Especially_ that teacher. She's a real bi-"

"_Imbo_," interrupted Harley in a sing-song voice.

Sophie scoffed. "Yeah, _bimbo_." That wasn't the word she had intended to use at all.

Harley laughed a little. "Hey, that principal of yours _already_ think you're nuts, so it _would_ be kinda fun to prove her right, wouldn't it?" Harley grinned widely.

Sophie giggled loudly. "You _bet_ it would!"

_"Enough_ you two," said Ivy, her voice harsh and tense. "Sophie, _you're_ to behave yourself in school like a proper young lady with good manners and the intent to _learn,_ and _you,_ Harley, are to _stop_ encouraging her _not_ to." Ivy was obviously the only one with a sense of decorum and discipline in their group and it clearly showed.

Sophie slumped back into the couch, her arms folded. "Geez, whose side are you _on,_ anyway?"

Both Harley and Ivy couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Let me put it to you _this_ way, sweetie," said Ivy, gently. "If you draw _any_ unnecessary attention to yourself by using _any_ of our weapons, you'll be grounded."

_"Grounded?"_ Sophie and Harley repeated together.

_"Yes,"_ said Ivy. "Which means you will _not_ come out with us in the evenings." Ivy paused. _"Ever."_

Sophie and Harley gasped in shock.

"She _wont?" _Harley cried.

"I _won't?" _cried Sophie_._

Ivy glared at Harley for a moment, and when she realized it. Harley cleared her throat, nervously.

"Uh, right, sweetie. If you disobey the...rules, you get punished. That's...that's how it works," Harley said awkwardly.

Sophie was speechless, and she gritted her teeth in anger. "And you _think_ you know who your friends are!"

Harley and Ivy grinned at each other.

"Do you at _least_ wanna hear some _good_ news?" Harley said, giving a smile to Ivy. "We've been talking, and we think if you're well enough to go to school, you're well enough to come out with us, now." Harley was secretly just as happy as she knew Sophie would be. She missed her greatly as her partner-in-crime.

Sophie's eyes widened, and she gasped loudly. "You _really_ mean it? I can _finally_ go out with you guys?"

Ivy grinned, too. _"Absolutely._ As long as your homework gets done, and you _don't _kill anyone at school, you can go with us _anytime._ We need to go to the museum tonight look for some pollen I could use." She smiled at Harley. "And _maybe_ we'll be able to find some cash, too."

Ivy knew Harley was the one who was more into stealing money and having power than she was, but Ivy had to admit, having money was a highlight as well.

Sophie was so excited for the idea, she hugged Ivy as hard as she could, and for a second, Harley felt a tiny pang of jealously. Usually _she_ was the one who got all of Sophie's love and admiration, so having someone else share it was something Harley wasn't used to. And she wasn't sure she liked it very much.

"Oh, _finally_ the stupid papers are gonna have to stop calling you guys _'Double Trouble.'_ We're gonna be like... Triple Threat!" Sophie giggled, still holding on to Ivy tightly.

She pulled Sophie away from Ivy for a second and down onto the couch. "But listen, sweetie. You _have_ to be careful, okay? You haven't been on a heist with me since... since... well, you know." She cupped Sophie's face in her hands, seriously. "You're gonna stay _right_ with me, the _whole_ time, you got that? I can't survive losing you again!"

Sophie smiled, her heart swelling with the love she felt from Harley. She hugged her, too. "Me either, Harley. If I go with you guys, I'm gonna stick to you like glue, I _promise."_

Harley chuckled. "Then, it's a deal. Tonight...we ride again!"

* * *

Tim and Barbara were on patrol together that evening, and as they swung from building to building, Tim was chatting a hundred miles per hour.

"I _know_ it sounds crazy," Tim shouted for the tenth time. "But I _know_ I saw her! I'm _sure_ of it!"

They both landed on top of the radio tower at about the same time.

Barbara sighed and shook her head. "I know you _think_ you saw Sophie, Tim. Maybe you even _wanted_ to see her. But, she _didn't_ come back from the dead, did she?"

It was a rhetorical question, but Tim contemplated it anyway. At that point, he would believe anything. "Well..." he began, his voice trailing off.

Before he could finish his thought, they heard a loud explosion coming from the distance. After a few seconds, smoke began to rise on the horizon.

Barbara smiled a little, happy for the distraction she knew Tim needed. "Ah-ha. _That's_ our cue to get a move on!"

Harley, Ivy, and Sophie all gasped and coughed from the outside of the huge museum, waving the smoke away as best the could. None of them had expected the blast to be so powerful, and it had knocked them off their feet and into the bushes nearby.

"Look!" Sophie cried, pointing towards the hole in the wall of the building. There, they saw two figures dashing past them with two huge empty bags in their hands.

"Hey, whoever those _creeps_ are, they're trying to move in on _our_ heist!" Harley yelled, jumping up from the ground. "Either that, or its the annoying Batkids again. Let's get 'em!"

Ivy stood up, too. "You two take care of our little friends, I'll look for the flower we need."

Splitting up, Harley and Sophie ran inside the building to the right, following the two people ahead of them, while Ivy went to the left.

Barbara and Tim had just arrived and had seen two figures running through the museum, too.

Barbara chuckled out loud. "Will ya look at that. _Finally_ we'll get to meet Gotham's newest mystery team," she said, a little sarcastically. "And _I'll_ be more than happy to lock Harley and Ivy up once we catch them."

Tim had to smile, too. "So will I."

They both ran inside the museum and looked around. Suddenly, they heard footsteps...the sound of running footsteps.

"Over there!" cried Tim, as he strained to hear.

Barbara and Tim ran as fast as they could in the direction of the sounds of footsteps. The lats thing they wanted to do was lose Harley and Ivy. They both ran so fast, as they turned a corner, they crashed right into two people. The force was so strong, that it knocked all four of them back as they slammed their heads into one another, painfully.

"Sweetie?" asked Harley weakly, clutching her head as they all lay on the floor, unable to move.

"Harley?" Sophie murmured from the ground beside her.

"_S.P?_" Tim gasped, in shock, sitting up with start.

"Robin?" said Barbara sitting up slowly, still holding her head.

"Bratgirl!" Harley cried, as she and Sophie sat up together.

"Birdboy!" Sophie said, her voice cracking a little.

"_S.P!_" Barbara gasped, her mouth open in shock.

"Ivy!" Harley and Sophie screamed.

Tim and Barbara stood up in unison, followed by Harley and Sophie. It was all a little too much for the caped crusaders to take in. Both Tim and Barbara were at an understandable complete loss for words as they gazed at Sophie.

_"How_ did...why..._w-what_ are you doing here?" Tim breathed, pointing ta Sophie.

Sophie put her hands on her hips. "I'm _trying_ to do my job, that's what!"

Harley stepped in front of Sophie standing between her and the Bat kids. "What kinda _stupid_ question is that?"

Sophie couldn't help herself, and burst into giggles. "Yeah, what kinda stupid question _is_ that?" she repeated, giggling after almost other word.

Tim glanced at Barbara, who couldn't take her eyes off of Sophie. This girl had the same mistakenly bright blue eyes just as Barbara had remembered. She had the same demeanor, and even the same playful giggle that Sophie was known for.

Ivy dashed in and gasped, a small smile creeping onto her face. "Whoa, such a _shame_ I wasn't invited to this little party!" She stood next to Sophie and put her hand around her shoulders. Harley noticed, but quickly shifted her eyes back towards Barbara and Tim.

Suddenly, they all heard the sound of running footsteps again.

Barbara stared at Ivy, dumbfounded. "Wait a minute. If _you_ three are here, then..."

_"Who_ were we chasing?" finished Harley, her eyes wide.

All of the sudden, without warning, they heard the sound of three gunshots, and the next thing they knew, they had been bound by ropes. Harley had been bound alone, while Ivy and Sophie and Barbara and Tim had been bound in pairs.

"Hey, what's the big idea?" Tim cried angrily, struggling under the tightness of the ropes.

They saw the two shadows step into the room, making them all gasp in shock. There, standing in front of them, was Ying and Yang, huge grins plastered on their faces.

"Who're _you?"_ Sophie asked, her mouth hanging open in surprise.

Ying smiled wider when she saw the colorfully bright Sophie. "Oh, what a _cute_ little clown she is" She cooed, patronizingly.

"She reminds me a little of the Joker, don't you think so?" added Yang, smiling just as mockingly as her sister.

"What _about_ the Joker?" Harley demanded. "What do _you_ freaks know about him?"

"We know _loads,_ actually," said Ying, with a flip of her bright purple hair. "We _work_ for him, now."

"You _what?"_ cried Barbara, Harley, Tim, and Sophie.

Barbara and Tim were in shock because they had still assumed Harley and now, the much-alive Sophie still worked for him, and Harley and Sophie were shocked that he had found replacements so fast, and so precisely.

"Hey, wait a _minute,"_ Tim murmured to Barbara. "Do you think _those_ two are...Double Trouble?"

Yang turned to the Bat kids and snickered. "The ones responsible for all the recent, high-end robberies in Gotham? Oh, that's most _definitely_ us. I'm Yang, and my sister Ying, also known as the Ying Yang Twins, at your service."

"No _way!"_ Harley cried, angrily. "Ivy and _me_ have pulled loads of jobs lately! The papers call _us_ Double Trouble!" Harley looked pathetically at Ivy, her lip quivering. "_D-don't_ they?"

Ivy took a deep breath, clearly annoyed as well. She clenched her teeth angrily. "Looks like it _wasn't_ us after all. It was the Joker's shiny new henchgirls."

Sophie stole a glance at Harley and her sad expression, and she felt her anger build. _"Everybody_ in Gotham knows _Harley_ and _me_ are the best henchgirls for Mister Joker. What can _you_ guys do that _we_ can't?" Sophie asked.

Ying and Yang each did three backflips off one another with ease, just like circus performers. As they landed, they grinned. _"Plenty."_

Harley burst into loud sobs at that moment. That was all too much for her to handle at that moment. Ying and Yang shook their heads and sighed heavily.

Ivy cleared her throat. "You two _do_ realize you're in _our_ territory, don't you? Harley and I have been working Gotham for _years._ What makes _you_ think you can just come in and take over? Gotham already _has_ enough rogues and we don't _need_ anymore."

Yang crossed her arms over her chest. "We agree. So why don't you tell your two little _clown_ friends to hang up their costumes and retire?"

Harley and Sophie gasped in horror, their mouths wide open.

Sophie balled her fists up angrily, even if she couldn't do anything with them. _"_W-_we_ don't have to retire!" Sophie sputtered, indignantly, her eyes filling with angry, hot tears. "Gotham is _ours,_ not _yours!_ Why don't you just...just go to Metropolis and bug Superman and Supergirl? Mister Joker probably doesn't even _want_ to work with _you_ two, he's...he's just...he's just sad that he doesn't have _us_ anymore so he'd settle for _anything!"_

Sophie was deeply hurt by the words of the Twins. She knew the Joker sometimes didn't particularly _want_ to be with herself and Harley, but, like Harley, she still believed deep down that he liked them. Harley had told her time and time again that he loved them, and that he just had his own way of showing it. And Sophie believed it just as strongly as Harley did.

_"Ha!"_ said Yang, rolling her eyes. "He's not the _least_ bit sad, little one. It's no _wonder_ the boss wanted to get rid of you both!" she said with a half grin.

"Yeah. Who wants to work with a _pesky_ little kid and a wishy-washy _crybaby,_ anyway?" added Ying.

"I-I'm _not_ a pesky little kid!" Sophie screeched.

"A-and I'm _not_ a wish-washy crybaby," sniffled Harley, sadly. "I _know_ the Joker still cares about us and he _does_ still want us! He'd..he'd take us back in a _heartbeat!"_

The twins couldn't help but chuckle.

Yang combed her fingers through her neon green hair. "Don't make us laugh. The Boss needs better, more _qualified_ henchgirls than the two of _you._ We have more brains, brawn, and..." she looked down at her rather large chest and grinned at her sister. _"Beauty_ than the _both_ of you put together!"

Ying stooped down and patted Harley on her head with unnecessary force, and pinched Sophie's cheeks as hard as she could, making her yelp out in pain. "You both might as well just _forget_ the idea of ever getting back into _our_ gang. The Joker doesn't have time for useless, pathetic _losers_ like _you."_

Both Harley and Sophie were speechless at the cruel words of their new rivals, and Harley's anger raged.

"Come on, let's get this job over with and get the goods back to the boss," said Yang. "We don't need to waste our time with the laughable Bat Squad and those other three _nobodies."_

As the Twins darted away, laughing, Harley suddenly turned angry and struggled with her binds. "Lemme at those girls. I'll _kill_ 'em! I'll kill 'em _both_ for what they said about us! They can't talk to us like that!"

Barbara and Tim's binds suddenly broke as Barbara flexed her muscles. She had been working on cutting them while they had all been talking, and luckily she had cut them enough to where she could break them.

"Hey, what about _us?"_ Harley demanded. "What're we, chopped liver?"

Barbara grinned. "We'll nab those troublesome twins, and then come back for you and Ivy, and..." she paused and looked at Sophie. "...and Sweetie Pie, too. Come on, Robin!"

As she dashed way, Tim couldn't help but stare at Sophie. Carefully, he reached out and poked her on her head. He just wanted to be sure for himself.

"Hey, what the _heck_ are you doing?" Sophie demanded. A little smile appeared on her face after a second. "Touch me again and I'll break your finger, Birdbrain."

Tim looked into her eyes and saw a slight sparkle emerge as she smiled at him. That's when he knew for sure, without a doubt, that it was really and truly Sophie. He cleared his throat and felt himself blush a little. "I-it's nice to see you again, S.P. It...it was quiet around here without you."

As he ran out, Harley and Ivy both looked at Sophie, who was blushing too, although Sophie was thankful hat it couldn't be seen because of her white face makeup.

"What on Earth was _that_ about?" Ivy asked, snapping both she and Sophie's binds with a tiny pair of garden sheers she had hidden away in her pocket.

"Yeah," Harley added. "Birdboy looked like he was in l-o-v-e. As a matter of fact, so did _you."_

Sophie looked at the floor. "He is _not._ And neither am _I._" She reached over and took Ivy's hand. "Aunt Ivy, do we _still_ have to look for that pollen? I don't wanna be around here with Batgirl and Robin here, and...I _really_ don't wanna be near those mean Ying Yang Twins."

Ivy put her hand on Sophie's cheek, gently. "No, darling, we _don't._ It's getting too crowded around here for my tastes, too." Ivy began cutting Harley's ropes with her tiny sheers. "I wanna make a split before our caped friends come back. Although I would love _nothing_ more than to watch them as they catch those terrible twin terrors."

Ivy finished cutting Harley's ropes and she burst free. Harley rubbed her arms to ease the pain of the tightness of the binds. "Let's get outta here already, I've had my fill of people for one night."

The three friends made a dash away from the museum as the sounds of grenades, kicking, hitting, punching, and laughter coming from the Joker's new gang rang in the air.


	7. Puppy Love

Needless to say, Barbara and Tim were in shock the entire evening, and even the following morning. They had frustratingly been outsmarted by Ying and Yang the previous night, and when they had come back for Harley, Ivy, and Sophie, they were even _more_ frustrated that they had escaped, too.

Later in the Batcave, they both breathlessly tried to explain what they had seen to Bruce, who put his hand to his chin as he listened intently.

"So, our Double Trouble are the Ying Yang Twins, hm?" Bruce said with a tiny scoff. "And even _more_ interesting, is that Sophie is alive. I must say it's a...relief to know she didn't actually perish, but now that she's back with both Harley and Ivy, I'd say we've got our hands full. I can imagine those three on the loose as a team can't be good news for anyone."

"You know, come to think of it, after hearing Harley and Sophie have split from the Joker...we haven't even _seen_ him lately," Barbara commented. "Do you think he might be taking it easy now that he has his new gang?"

"That's a possibility," Bruce said. "From what you've told me about your fight with his new girls, they are indeed capable of running things without him." Bruce picked up the newest Gotham Times as he spoke. "And the papers just _love_ them."

Some lucky photographer had finally snapped a picture of Ying and Yang, thus confirming the town's "mystery girls." Under their picture was the caption: "Newest Queens of Gotham City crime, Double Trouble, aka, the Ying Yang Twins, are unstoppable as they continue to wreak havoc around Gotham."

At the same time across the city, Harley angrily drew horns and mustaches on the picture of the twins in the newspaper. "Brains, brawn, beauty, huh?" She said, her teeth gritted as she pressed her pencil down harder with every word. "More like _boring, brainless, bi-"_

"_Be_ careful," Ivy interrupted in a sing-song voice as Sophie entered the room just then. Ivy wanted to keep the swearing in front of Sophie to a minimum.

Sophie sat down at the kitchen table and poured herself a bowl of cereal, oblivious to the earlier conversation. "Ya know, you guys, I was thinking. I mean, going to school takes up so much of my free time now, and that's really _awful."_

Ivy sat down next to her, a small smile on her face. "It's a _necessary_ awful, darling."

"I know I know," Sophie said, waving her hand. "Just hear me out on this." She gripped her spoon tightly in one hand. "I couldn't sleep last night 'cause I was thinking about those Twins. Not _only_ do we have to battle against Batman, Batgirl, and Robin, but _now_ we have to match wits with _those_ girls, _too!_ You guys _definitely_ need me. I don't have _time_ for school!"

Ivy put her hand on Sophie's shoulder. "Of course we need you and we always _will_ need you, honey. But, you're going to school even if I have to take you _myself_ every day."

Sophie narrowed her eyes and giggled. "Yeah, _right. You_ wouldn't last one _minute_ around all those other loud, noisy, rowdy kids," she teased, giggling so much she dropped the spoon onto the table.

Ivy grinned and carelessly tossed three glowing seeds into the harmless table plant in front of Sophie. Suddenly, the plant grew long vines, and the vines crawled to Sophie and began poking her until she burst into louder giggles and fell helplessly to the floor. The vines continued to tickle her mercilessly as she pleaded for them to stop through her squeals and shrieks.

_"Especially_ if they're as cheeky as _you_ are!" Ivy said, laughing also. "But I don't think that's possible!"

Harley balled her fists up in order to try to stop the tears she felt coming. Playfully poking and tickling Sophie like that had always been _her_ thing, not Ivy's. Sophie was always giggling, making jokes and teasing everyone, so she knew it was tempting not to give her a little poke or even a few good ones all the time, but Harley felt it was _her_ sweet thing to do to Sophie, not anyone...or any_thing_ else's. She angrily jerked the plant away, rescuing Sophie from her torture on the floor.

_"Anyway,"_ Harley said loudly, slamming the plant back onto the table as the vines recoiled back into the pot. "Boy, what I wouldn't give to see those twins get thrown into Arkham for good. Mister J is _mine,_ not theirs."

Harley was really ticked that the Joker replaced them with two other women. Why did they have to be _women_? She would have been relatively..."fine" if he had found men, but the fact they were women just made it worse and made her jealously soar.

Ivy kicked Harley under the table and cleared her throat as Sophie slowly climbed back up to the table, her cheeks pink from laughing so much.

"But you're _okay_ with the fact that he found other women, _aren't_ you, Harl?" Ivy shifted her eyes towards Sophie as she spoke. "After all, who says we even _need_ a man to be happy?"

Harley bit her lip and evaded the question. She didn't want to answer it. "I think those jokster twins are no match for the three of _us._ We're a good team, too. We've got _brains,"_ she glanced at Ivy. _"Brawn,"_ she pointed to herself. "And," she glanced at Sophie, who smiled at her, her dimples shining. _"...bubbles."_ Harley sighed heavily after a moment. "I just can't believe this. I _wish_ he would see how great me and Sophie are! Then he'd _really_ regret what he did."

Sophie smiled a little. "I _know_ he loved us, Harley. Especially _you,"_ she said, her eyes filled with hope as she glanced at Harley. "Harley, do you think, maybe...we can go back to Mister Joker...and maybe just...ask him if he could-"

_"No_ way," Ivy interrupted sternly, making both Harley and Sophie jump. "Crawling back to that clown face is _completely_ out of the question, my darling little wildflower. He doesn't respect _either_ of you, sweetie. Isn't it obvious? He doesn't _care_ about you. He only cares about having bodies for his gang. That's _it._ It was _never_ about love."

Sophie's face fell, drastically. "A-are you sure, Aunt Ivy?"

"I'm _positive,_ honey," Ivy said, her voice still strong. "I mean, even _Batman_ treats Batgirl with respect. Haven't you seen that? They work as _equals,_ not as a master and a servant like what you two had with that clown."

Sophie's face brightened a little. "Oh, you're _right!_ Batgirl can do whatever she wants, and Batman always listens to her when she says something! Is...that how it's _really_ supposed to be?"

Harley had been silent as she listened to what Ivy had said, and she began to think as well. "I think you're on to something, Red," she said, slowly. "Mister J never really_...believed_ in our abilities. He never really _respected_ us."

Ivy's green eyes shined, as she felt she was finally getting through to her confused friend. _"Exactly_ Harl. And we as women _deserve_ to be respected by our men, and by men in general. We're equal to them, and they _have_ to respect us!"

Harley grinned, finally. "And if Mister J doesn't see our value, then that's _his_ loss, right, sweetie?" she said, looking at Sophie, who was by that time in the widest grin ever.

_"Yeah!_ If _he_ doesn't need us, then _we_ don't need him!" Sophie said happily. She began to feel differently, now that she could see Harley also believed what Ivy had been telling them. She herself felt a little bit of power inside, and she liked it.

"That's right. You _don't_ need him," Ivy said. "The loss _is_ his! You've each got your own special talents and skills that are _just_ what the doctor ordered. You can soar _without_ being tied down by that stupid clown."

Both Harley and Sophie were at a loss for words, but this time, because they were happy. Ivy was absolutely right, and they believed every word she said. Instead of pining over someone who didn't give a rat's bum about them, they could focus on themselves.

All that morning Sophie had felt empowered. Being around Ivy had given her a little more self-confidence, and even if being at school still _didn't_ really interest her, she did find herself enjoying a few classes here and there because her mood was so good. She hadn't made any friends yet, but it didn't bother her one bit. She often wondered how funny it would be to _have_ any friends her own age. While the others ran off after school to their flute lessons or to chess club, she would be running home to rob a jewelry store or to blow up a museum.

Unfortunately, Sophie had already made it habit of running late to her classes, so she was always dashing in and around corners trying to make it on time. At one moment, the bell had rung and she was still fidgeting with her locker door. She manged to get the door open after fighting with it forever, grabbed her book, slammed the door, and made mad dash for her classroom. As she rounded the corner, she crashed into another person who had obviously been running late, too.

"Oh, I'm sorry," they both said at once from their positions on the floor.

They both sat up slowly, and gasped when they looked at each other. Sophie was staring directly at Tim, and she remembered him from their last encounter out of costume many months ago, where they had crashed into each other in Gotham Central Park.

"Hey, it's _you!"_ Sophie cried with a giggle. "Funny how we keep _running_ into each other." She burst into loud giggles at her joke. He was silent, unable to speak. "So," Sophie added. "Do you remember me?"

Tim scrambled to his feet and gave Sophie a hand up. He couldn't believe his eyes, but his heart soared and his throat felt dry. He gulped. "Y-yeah, I do. You're... you're Sophie, right?"

Sophie grinned widely. "Yeah! I just started school here yesterday. I'm _so_ happy to see a familiar face around here. Everybody looks the same to me!"

Tim could barely speak as she stared at her. He really couldn't believe his good luck that she was there. "I-I'm really glad to see you. Do you...d-do you need any help?"

Before they could speak another word, they heard a voice behind them clear their throat. "Excuse, me, but aren't you two late for your classes?"

Tim and Sophie looked up and saw Mrs. Nikros standing with her arms over her chest. "Mister Drake, I thought I discussed with Mister Wayne about your behavior lately. He promised me you'd improve."

"Mister _Wayne_?" gasped Sophie, her mouth dropping open, awe-struck.

"And _you,_ Miss Quinn," Mrs. Nikros added with a tiny huff. "You and your...mother made quite an impression on me last week, and it wasn't a very _good_ one. Let's not make it habit of being late to our classes, hm?"

Sophie frowned a little and felt her fists slowly clench in anger. How dare she insult Harley like that! Remembering what Ivy had told her, Sophie unwillingly let her fists unclench. Boy was that woman lucky.

"I-I'm very sorry, Mrs. Nikros. I can assure you, I _am_ going to improve, a hundred and one percent," said Tim, luckily speaking before Sophie could. "You can count on that."

Mrs. Nikros smiled. "Good, good. Now, run along, the both of you."

Sophie and Tim picked up their books and stated walking down the hallway, stifling back laughter as best they could. When they had rounded the corner and were out of sight, they stopped walking.

"Is she always _so...naggy?"_ Sophie asked.

Tim laughed a little. "Well, she seems to hate me, so I'm sure I'm the wrong person to be asking."

Sophie grinned. "She seems to hate me, too! So at least we're in this together, huh?"

Sophie couldn't help but giggle at her joke, which made Tim's heart race, again. He loved the way she laughed!

"S-so, where are you headed, now?" asked Tim, taking a deep breath to calm his beating heart. "I'm on my way to Math. I _hate_ math."

Sophie scoffed. "So do I. More than you know. I've got Spanish."

Tim raised his eyebrows. "Why are you taking Spanish?"

Sophie grinned. "Why _not?"_

Tim nervously shifted his weight from one foot to the other, clearing his throat a few times. "So, um...when's your lunch period?"

"Right after Spanish, thank _goodness._ Learning a foreign language is hard work!" said Sophie, giggling again.

Tim's face brightened into a grin. "Hey, I've got lunch after this class, too!" He shouted loudly. He blushed a little. "D-do you wanna...do you wanna eat lunch together?"

Sophie smiled. "Yeah! Yesterday I ate by myself, like a loser. At least today we can losers together!"

"Great! So, it's a date!" Tim said enthusiastically. He blushed again. "I -I mean, not a _date,_ but... oh, you know what I mean!"

Sophie grinned. "Yeah I know. So...we can meet here after class, okay?"

Tim smiled weakly. "Okay."

For the first time in months, Tim was finally able to concentrate in his math lesson. He finished his work in record time, giving him about twenty glorious extra minutes to daydream about Sophie. He couldn't believe his good luck, that they would be able to meet almost every day _without_ having to try to beat the crap out of each other. They could just talk together as normal teenagers, even if he knew they were anything but normal. He was on cloud nine.

And talk they did. Sophie couldn't believe Tim lived with Bruce Wayne - the richest man Sophie had ever heard of. She was sure they probably ate off diamond incrusted dinnerware and had floors made of gold. She had fired questions at him about his life, like a nighttime news reporter. Tim was cautious even if he was in a daze. He didn't want to give too much of his "information" to his enemy...even if she wasn't aware that he was Robin. He casually told her that Bruce had adopted him when his father split, thus the reason he lived in Wayne Manor.

Sophie smiled a little upon hearing it. "Oh. I was...I was adopted too. I guess my mom and your dad won't be getting the _Parents of the Year_ award anytime soon, huh?"

Tim laughed. "Yeah, I guess not. But, you know, I'm better off without him."

Sophie grinned. "I"m better off without her, too. I think we're fine on our own. You know what? We can form our _own_ team," she giggled. "We can be just like...just like...just like, oh, I dunno...Batman and Robin!"

Tim started to blush a little. "Yeah, maybe. I...kinda like those two, don't you?"

Sophie wrinkled her nose a little. "Eh, Batman not so much, but..uh..." she felt her cheeks slowly turning pink "Oh, it's... kinda stupid, but...you know what? I've...seen Robin a few times before when I was..." she bit her lip. _"Out,_ and he's really..."

"What?" Tim sat up straighter in his chair. He almost fell off it. "Robin's really _what?"_

Sophie felt herself blush harder, and she couldn't believe what she was about to admit. "He's really..._ cute._ For a silly kid in a _mask,_ I mean."

Tim felt his cheeks flush almost to the shade Sophie had in hers, especially after hearing how Sophie really felt about him. Rather, how she felt about his alter ego.

"Y-yeah...I've seen him around, too," Tim said, after taking a sip of water. "He is really _strong,_ and _brave,_ and...heroic, isn't he?"

Sophie giggled loudly. "Do _you_ have a crush on Robin too, Timmy?"

Tim grinned and laughed, too. "No _way!_ But...I do...kinda...like..." Tim bit his lip, too, and couldn't believe what he was about to admit.

Suddenly, the lunch bell rang, and the students began to scatter to their classes. Tim sighed heavily, almost banging his fists on the table. He wished the lunch period was longer so he could spend all day talking to Sophie just as Sophie. When they were "masked" as he liked to call it, they couldn't, nor did they _want_ to. Tim knew Sophie was just as dangerous as her "friends," but still. He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something about her that he felt was good. There _had_ to be something inside of her that was good. He was still baffled on how Sophie had escaped the terrible blast which killed her "parents." He thanked his (and her) lucky stars that fate had been on her side that day. The whole thing confused him, and he'd wanted to ask Sophie about it, but of course, he couldn't very well say, "Oh, by the way, I just happen to know you are really a masked criminal who spends her nights robbing, stealing, and terrorizing Gotham City even if you're supposed to be dead. How _did_ you manage to be the only survivor, anyway?" He imagined that wouldn't go over very well at all.

Tim was still deep in thought as Sophie stood up. "Well, I'm off to English, now."

Tim scrambled to his feet, too, his face falling.

"Then I have gym 6th period," Sophie said, grinning. "Finally a class I _enjoy."_

Tim's face brightened like a light bulb. "Hey, I have gym 6th period, too!"

Sophie grinned happily. "That's really great! So, I guess going to school...I mean, going to _this_ school is gonna be better than I thought." She put her hand on his arm, gently. "I'm _so_ glad you're here, Timmy."

Tim blushed yet again. "M-me too." He stammered, as Sophie cleared her lunch tray away.

Tim stumbled behind her, his eyes glazed over. He had a feeling that going to this school was going to be better than _he_ thought, too.


End file.
